Director of Operations Maktour Gives 30 Thousand US Dollars to Former Stafsus Menag Yaqut Cholil

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said Ismail Adham as the Director of Operations of PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour) gave 30,000 US dollars for additional special haji quota arrangements.

This was conveyed by the Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK, Asep Guntur Rahayu, when announcing Ismail Adham as a new suspect in the corruption case of determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag). He was appointed together with Asrul Azis Taba who is the former General Chairman of the Indonesian Hajj Tour Travel Travel Association (Kesthuri).

In this case, the KPK has first named the former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and his former staff, Ishfah Abidal Azis or Gus Alex as suspects.

"The suspect ISM (Ismail Adham) is suspected of giving a certain amount of money to IAA (Ishfah Abidal Azis as a staff of the former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas) of 30,000 US dollars," Asep said at a press conference at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Monday, March 30.

Ismail, continued Asep, also gave a certain amount of money to the Director General of Haji and Umrah (PHU) of the Ministry of Religion, Hilman Latief, amounting to 5,000 US dollars and 16,000 Saudi Riyals.

"For his actions, PT Makassar Toraja (Maktour) obtained illegal gains in 2024 which reached around Rp. 27.8 billion," he said.

Meanwhile, Asrul is said to have given Ishfah as a stafsus of Yaqut as much as 406 thousand US dollars. This gift made eight special pilgrimage organizers (PIHK) under the auspices of Kesthuri get illegal profits of up to Rp40.8 billion.

"The receipt of a certain amount of money by IAA and HL from the suspects is suspected to be a representation of YCQ as the Minister of Religion at that time."

For their actions, Ismail and Asrul are suspected of violating Article 2 paragraph (1) and or Article 3 of Law No. 31 of 1999 Jo. Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001 concerning Changes to Law No. 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes Jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.

Or as referred to in Article 604 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code jo. Article 20 letter (c) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.

As previously reported, the KPK has named the former Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and former staff, specifically, Ishfah Abidal Azis alias Gus Alex as suspects in the corruption case of determining quotas and organizing the 2023-2024 Hajj pilgrimage at the Ministry of Religion. This alleged corruption began with the granting of 20,000 additional Hajj quotas from the Saudi Arabian government to Indonesia in 2023-2024.

Based on Law Number 8 of 2019 concerning the Implementation of the Hajj and Umrah and the results of the agreement of the Panja Meeting of Commission VIII of the DPR RI, the special hajj quota should be set at 8 percent of the total quota, while the remaining 92 percent is intended for regular hajj.

However, Yaqut as the Minister of Religion at that time allegedly unilaterally changed its composition. Using the maneuver of issuing the Minister of Religion Decree (KMA) which was not disseminated transparently, he divided the additional Hajj quota into a 50 percent scheme for regular Hajj and 50 percent for special Hajj.

Meanwhile, Ishfah Abdi Abdi implemented the policy by relaxing the rules for filling the remaining special hajj quota. The quota is proposed by the Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (Special Hajj Quota) or Special Hajj Quota (

In fact, there should be an order of departure according to the national order number according to the law.

In return for these accelerated facilities, Gus Alex instructed his subordinates to collect illegal levies or fees from travel parties, which were ultimately charged to prospective special pilgrims. In 2023, the amount of fees set at USD5,000 or around Rp84.4 million per pilgrim.

Meanwhile, in the 2024 Hajj, the collection rate was agreed at least USD2,000 to USD2,500 per pilgrim.

The billions of rupiah from the collection of fees are suspected to have flowed into the pockets of Gus Yaqut, Gus Alex, and a number of other officials in the Ministry of Religion.

Then there is an allegation that some of the funds were deliberately prepared and used to condition the Special Hajj Committee (Pansus) which was formed by the DPR RI in mid-2024. However, a refusal was given so that no transfer by intermediaries would occur.

As a result of the actions of the two, the state is said to have lost up to IDR 622 billion. They were then suspected of violating Article 2 (1) and or Article 3 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 jo Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.